By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | Nov. 25, 2015, 12:18 pm CT
Almost two weeks after a report from ESPN’s Buster Olney that the Cardinals were among the teams interested in signing free agent Ben Zobrist, sources have told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that the redbirds have reached out to the versatile 34-year-old and are among “the more interested teams.”
As expected, Heyman reports the redbirds will have a great deal of competition for Zobrist’s services, with as many as 20 teams in the mix to sign him. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the club also had a conversation about Zobrist and with his representative “earlier this month at or around the GM meetings.”
Acquired by the World Champion Kansas City Royals in a trade deadline deal with the A’s this past summer, Zobrist batted .276 with 13 home runs, 36 doubles, and 56 RBI in 126 games last season, stashing an impressive .303/.365/.515 batting line during the postseason.
As Goold reports, the Cardinals are in the market for an “uber-utility player who can get everyday play — just not always at the same position.” Zobrist would certainly fit that mold, as he started games at four different positions (2B, 3B, LF, RF) last season and played 31 games at shortstop as recently as 2014. Heyman hears the redbirds “love (Zobrist’s) versatility, especially on the infield.”
The key question in the Cardinals’ pursuit of Zobrist, Goold writes, is whether or not the team can sell the veteran on a prominent role with the club. While many teams would see Zobrist as a starter at second base, barring a trade or injury, Zobrist would not have a regular position, but would bounce around the infield and outfield getting close to regular at-bats. Zobrist would provide something the Cardinals lacked last season in Pete Kozma, a reliable offensive and defensive backup in the middle infield, where Jhonny Peralta and Kolten Wong both experienced their fair share of struggles as the season went on.
More from STL Baseball Today:
Report: Cards among top teams showing interest in David Price
Report: Cardinals interested in free agent slugger Chris Davis
Piscotty, Reyes, Gomber named as Cardinals’ minor league player and pitchers of the year
Report: Cardinals among six teams who’ve “checked in” on John Lackey; Buehrle update
Feature image used under Creative Commons by Keith Allison. No changes made. Image license.
